


The Colors Trickle Down our Hearts

by TheCrabbyBarista



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCrabbyBarista/pseuds/TheCrabbyBarista
Summary: Emma didn't think she was anyone's soulmate She would never see that wave of color come over her world And she never did see it wash the whole world away Instead, it appeared as something strange about a customer's eyes. And then the sky turned blue. Paul never really knew whether or not he would have a soulmate. He was slightly romantic, but he wasn't actively looking. He would've liked to just say hi to someone and then see all the colors. But he never did. Instead, it appeared as something strange about a barista's eyes. And then the bark on the trees turned brown.
Relationships: Emma Perkins & Zoey, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Comments: 21
Kudos: 33





	1. Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey this is my first work on here! Please leave a comment if you have anything to say. Even a keysmash helps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emma and Paul meet someone special

Soulmates. What strange things. Emma didn't think she was one of them. She figured it would've happened by now. It was a little different for everyone, of course. Sometimes it was a friend, or a lover, or something along those lines. Emma wasn't one who had very many friends, and she didn't see herself as very desirable romantically either. She told herself she'd just have to live with it. She'd just never see color. Her world would stay black and white forever. It seemed unfair. Like something had gone wrong. It felt lonely sometimes. But she just lived with it. People would see things that she'd never see, and they'd continue to do so. Yet she had to keep questioning why. Why was it on that day she had felt something on the wind? Was it real? Was it her head trying to stay positive again? Or was it something different? Was she lying to herself when she said no one was there? She was probably just overthinking again. Whether she was or not, it didn't matter at that moment. She opened the door to Beanies and went behind the counter before she threw her apron on, not saying hello to Zoey or Nora at all. It was dark grey, but not too dark. You wouldn't call it black. At least she thought it was. If she had to guess a color, based on how dark they tended to be in her eyes, she'd guess blue or maybe pink. Then again, it seemed like any color could be any level of darkness at any given time. She knew who'd be showing up soon. She started to prepare a hot chocolate and whatever order that jerk who had recently become a regular kept having. Eh, she'd probably just throw together something that was close enough.

Then someone walked in.

Emma gave them a quick wave, not looking away from the coffee she was preparing. She looked when she was done. "Hi, welcome to Beanies," she greeted the new customer, not sounding very welcoming but not exactly intimidating, "how can I help you?"

Emma looked up at their face. They were definitely new. But there was something else very new to her. His eyes were just ever so slightly off...

There was a reason she had felt something on the air that day.

Paul Matthews was ready to try something new that day. Something in the air made him feel excited and motivated. Paul was a simple man. He appreciated the things around him, but he didn't seem to want anything. He was entirely content. Even if he never saw the colors, it'd be okay. Soulmates, while he did find them amazing, weren't a thing that he dwelled on. Though, that's not to say He wasn't a romantic. He worried about simple things, like work, and was happy about simple things like movies. The only truly un-simple thing about him was his discomfort towards musical theatre. But, that already has its own story. That's why you're reading this. His need for simplicity and not change did not lead him to Beanies that morning. It was, finally, a want for something new. Something entirely unknown yet somehow special. And it lead him to probably the shittiest cup of black coffee known to Hatchetfield. And a cute little barista. He felt like something big was going to happen as he opened the door. What was it? Maybe a movie he had forgotten about until now was coming out today! No, no he never forgot about that... Maybe his reports were due that day? No, he had turned them in that morning already. He stood by the door, a bit awkwardly, stacking his fists on top of the other and tapping them together. He spaced out for a moment until the barista have him a quick wave from behind the counter. He walked over to her, feeling somehow special in her presence. She looked up at him, looking slightly tired.

"Hi, welcome to Beanies," she greeted him simply, "how can I help you?" She stared up at his face, squinting a bit.

Paul felt even more awkward. Something must've been on his face. He didn't address it. "Um, I'll just get a black coffee." 

"... Mhm," The barista turned away, "that'll be 1.50."

"Okay!" Paul looked down as he took his wallet from his pocket. Or at least he tried to. But it froze. He stood in stunned silence as he looked down at his suit. "... What??"

"I said one dollar and fifty cents." The barista looked back at him again, but her gaze was quickly diverted to the window. "... No fucking way!"

"I thought my suit was actually black! Why is there a color that's as dark as black?" Paul blinked several times, staring down at himself.

"Fuck your suit, look at the sky!"

He turned around to face the same window as the barista. The sky was still pale grey, but the trees by the sidewalk caught his attention. "No, look at the trees. Look at the trunks."

"What about the trees? They look the same! Do you... not like the color of the sky?"

"But the sky is the same."

"Are you- I- are you sure about that?"

"Yeah." Paul turned around to look back at the barista. "WAIT- your hair! Your hair is like- the trees but lighter."

"THAT'S what looked weird about your face!"

"And-"

"Your eyes!"

"Yes! Your eyes!"

"So that means..."

"We're- you're my soulmate?"

The barista's face lit up. "I really do have one! This didn't happen how I imagined it, but that doesn't matter! What's your name?"

"Paul... Matthews. Um, since I have a soulmate... I'm... Glad it got to be you."

"I'm Emma," her cheeks darkened slightly, "if you're going to be that nice already I guess I'll say the same thing. I'm glad it got to be you."

A goofy yet endearing smile appeared on Paul's face. "Thank you."

"So... Any clue what we're supposed to do now?"

"Um... We could meet up somewhere later," Paul suggested, "how about... Oakley Park?"

"That's like, a few blocks away, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Paul..." Emma's eyes lit up as she said his name, "Paul, a little extra time away from work never hurt anyone."

"Wait, are you saying- Emma-" Paul felt something in his heart at the sound of his voice saying her name, "Emma, we can't just- ditch work."

"Come on, it'll be fun! I'm tired of this place."

"My boss probably won't notice, but yours will!"

"Your boss... Won't notice?"

"He's dealing with my friend, Ted, probably."

"Last name 'Talk'-?"

"Spankofski."

"Damn."

"I don't think talk is a last name."

"Whatever," Emma glanced around before stepping over the counter, "I'm not gonna get fired, they're too low on staff to get rid of me."

"It's not really about that, I just- you should stay here just to be safe."

"My soulmate doesn't wanna have fun?" She teased playfully.

"Emma..."

"Alright, fine, I understand. It was just a joke."

"I almost gave in, you know. I can barely wait," Paul smiled, looking down at Emma, "what time do you get off of work?"

"Around five. What about you?"

"Five-thirty."

"So, should we meet then?"

"Yeah!"

Emma hadn't felt what she was feeling in forever. She stared up at the sky. The colored sky! The color was starting to fade into greys, but it was still there. She had found that some of her clothes were sky-colored, or a darker variant of it, so she had chosen to wear a light blue t-shirt and some denim shorts. Nothing too special, but it looked cute. She wasn't sure what'd she say to Paul. What would he like hearing about anyways? Or maybe she wouldn't think of that at all. She'd just talk about what she wanted, and he'd talk about what he wanted. This whole thing was about getting to know each other, right? So that would make sense. She looked around at the sidewalk. She didn't see him. She looked down at her lap, wondering how long it had been since she had sat down. She had been so excited to see him again, and now he was late. Then someone sat next to her. Emma quickly turned to see who. "Hey! How did you get here without me seeing??"

"I dunno... Maybe I just got here so fast that you couldn't see me move because- um- I was very excited?" Paul looked down at Emma with an expression that made her feel something she hadn't ever felt before, right in her heart. There was something in his eyes. Some shyness, curiosity, but overall admiration and softness. No one else could even attempt to look at her like that. She just knew.

"Paul, you better stop. I just met you and you're already making me call you cute?" She smiled, staring into his eyes. "How did you do this to me?"

Paul's face grew a bit darker. "Well, I didn't mean too..." He spoke sheepishly.

Emma giggled. "Guess you just have some sort of natural charm?"

"Now I'm gonna call you cute! How did YOU do this???"

Her giggle grew into laughter. "I dunno!"

"Well now I have to know!"

"Ummmmm... I dunno!"

"I think I might be able to figure it out myself if you do that really cute thing again."

"Well, what'd I do?" 

Paul gently put a hand on Emma's shoulder. He moved it down her arm gently before suddenly tickling her side, sending her into a flurry of laughter. It was all fun and games until she managed to tickle his own side in return, turning both of them into giggling messes. They stopped after a minute or two, giving each other a break.

"This is so weird but it feels so right," Emma gazed up at Paul as she spoke, "It's like I've known you forever or something but we just met. And I don't know how to deal with it. We're just... Made for each other I guess, and it's weird but nice. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Kind of, yeah. I just- I don't know. It's like you're just the most lovable thing ever and I barely know more than your name."

"What should we do? I'm torn between just, y'know, going for it and trying to take it at least a little slow."

"Well, maybe... It'll feel better if we don't do anything until we can't wait."

"So what should we do? I don't think I have that patience."

"How about... Each day we can go somewhere new together, just to get to know each other more? We can do it for maybe a week and then just see how we both feel?"

"That sounds great. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Not yet," Paul put a hand on her shoulder, "Let's watch the sun set together."

"Can we hold hands?"

"Of course we can."

So, Emma sat there with Paul, holding his hand gently as the sky faded from color, to grey, to a darker color. It felt so warm and safe and perfect. This was where she was comforted. She thought her life would only go downhill since she came to Hatchetfield. She swore there was nothing good about the town at all. Yet there was Paul. Somehow it just made everything a little bit better. She was going to have to figure out a lot. Usually, knowing that scared her a little bit, but with him helping her it seemed just a little bit better. She rested her head on his shoulder. She was excited to learn more about him. As much as his familiarity stood out to her, she was still curious about him. She wanted to just hear him tell a story, and she'd listen to every little word and keep it in her heart. They talked about their co-workers, and their interests. As Emma was starting to feel sleepy, she looked up to see a beautiful sight.

A dark colored sky full of stars above a pale blue and grey world. For the first time she could remember, she was in love with the whole world. And it was all Paul Matthew's fault.

She couldn't wait to see what the week would bring.


	2. Flustered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Emma and Paul get a kitten, and they also both get very blushy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the feedback on the first chapter! It gave me so much motivation to write this today! Seriously, I don't remember the last time I've written anything so fast. I love you guys! Please keep leaving comments if you have the time

The next day was a Saturday. Paul had slept well, despite his excitement. It might've helped that he pretended that Emma was sleeping next to him. He got dressed. He picked out some sweatpants and a white shirt, as well as a suit he knew had to be black. It certainly wasn't brown so what else would it be? Where was he going today? He couldn't remember if he and Emma had actually decided on a place. She'd probably be at Beanies. He could talk to her there. He left the house with a spring in his step, and found his way to Beanies quite easily. He loved taking walks in the mornings, even short ones. The tiny town of Hatchetfield felt so alive at that time. As he walked into Beanies, he felt his heart starting to beat a little bit faster. Emma smiled as soon as she saw him. And god, was it beautiful. 

"Hi, Em." He greeted her sheepishly, walking up to the counter. "How are you?"

"Tired," Emma replied, "but I'm happy you're here. I was actually waiting. We forgot to plan where we're going today."

"I was just going to bring up the same thing," Paul told her, "did you have any ideas?"

"Well, I guess I had one but I dunno if I wanna drag you into it. It's not exactly an ideal way for us to spend our time."

"Well, what is it?"

"Zoey wants me to help her pick out a kitten. I know, it'd technically just be us running an errand together, but at the same time... There's gonna be kitties."

Paul nodded. "I prefer dogs, but cats are amazing."

"But Zoey's gonna be there."

"Well, I'm sure it won't be too bad."

"Ugh, Paul you have no clue. She won't shut up. She's like ten years younger than us but she acts so... She acts like she always knows best. On top of that, she's a theatre major who can't shut the fuck up! She was in this shitty production of Godspell with Nora and she just- I can't stand her."

"Oh... That one was at the rec center, wasn't it? I hated it," Paul nodded again, "they should've called it god awful."

"Or just God-Damn-That-Was-Bad."

He laughed. "I could say that for most musicals."

"Really?"

"I just don't like them. I dunno. It just seems. Weird, you know? How all these people express all their big feelings with singing instead of... writing a diary or something."

"Paul, I think several musicals have diary entries in their first song."

"I hate this." 

"But! We're seeing kittens today!"

"I love this!"

Emma laughed. "Me too... You still haven't ordered anything."

"Right!" Paul paid her ahead of time. 1.50 for the coffee and 5.00 for a tip. "Black coffee, please?"

"Of course. Thanks for the tip, too."

"Thank you for being here!"

"You're welcome, Paul." Emma's smile was soft and heart-warming. It made Paul feel a bit giddy. She handed him his coffee, which he started to drink right away. It was pretty hot, but not too hot. That's when he realized it was almost fresh. 

"Emma, did you really make a fresh cup just for me...?"

"Maybe. I think you deserve it."

Paul felt all warm inside. It was partially from the coffee, but also from the same feeling that was making his heart race. "When are we meeting later?"

"I get off early today, so maybe around late afternoon. Does three o'clock sound good?"

"That sounds good! Yeah."

"Awesome. I'll see you then."

"I, um, I'll see you then too, cute little barista."

And Paul turned around to leave before he could get to see the color that had appeared on Emma's cheeks.

Emma and Zoey were both waiting near The Hatchetfield Animal Shelter. Zoey was glued to her phone as usual, scrolling through Instagram. She was looking for some last minute ideas on what kind of cat to get, it seemed. Emma was trying her best to help out, but Zoey tended to be stubborn. She was close to giving up.

"Look, I understand that it's your cat and you get to chose the breed, but Siamese cats are not the nicest. I just don't think you'd really like one once you had it is all I'm saying."

"Are you saying my cat is gonna hate me?!" 

"I'm saying it might hate everyone! It's nothing personal!"

"You're such a bitch, Emma, god. You said the same thing about Tortoise Shell cats, this isn't a coincidence."

"Then why did you ask me for help?"

"I don't know!"

"Um..." Paul looked concerned as he approached the two of them. "Please don't call Emma a bitch."

"Paul, it's fine, she does this all the time."

"Well you don't deserve for it to happen all the time!"

"Who are you?" Zoey looked up at Paul as if he was the reason for her annoyance.

"He's my..." Emma began before a long pause, "does soulmate sound right? Cause like it is right technically but... I dunno."

"Yeah, I dunno either."

"We haven't put a label on it yet." Emma concluded.

"Can we see the cats now...?"

"Only if she stops telling me they'll hate me!" Zoey pointed accusingly at Emma, who just sighed in irritation.

"I'm not saying that, I'm saying that some cat breeds tend to be meaner than others."

"Okay... Okay, um..." Paul looked between the two as he decided on his words, "let's just go in and... See what happens!"

"Fine."

The trio wandered around the shelter, looking around at the cats. Paul had gotten a bit sidetracked by some puppies, but he still stuck with the others. Much to Zoey's disappointment, Emma was right about Tortoise Shell cats not liking people, evident by the scratch on Zoey's finger. She eventually settled for a little black kitten, who she named Charlie, saying it was short for charcoal. She ended up leaving without Emma and Paul, who wanted to look around for a bit longer. Then Emma found her.

It was a little grey tabby, probably. Paul hadn't said anything about it having tree-colored stripes like he had for a few others, so it seemed safe to assume. The kitten was fluffy, but not too fluffy. 

"This one is calling to me," Emma told Paul, "I'm gonna get it."

"If you get it, you'll let me visit, right?"

"... Wait... Oh my god. I forgot that we don't live together."

Paul laughed lightheartedly. "I understand. I feel like we live together too sometimes... Okay... I- actually- maybe I'll only leave it there."

"Whaaaat? Tell me! I won't laugh!"

"Well, um... When I went home last night I imagined that you were in bed with me and that we snuggled..." He covered his face with his hands, feeling it heating up.

"Oh my god, Paul..."

"Yeah, it's embarrassing-"

"No, not at all. I just. I don't know what to say exactly... That sounds very nice, though. The snuggles."

"Um... Thank you-"

"Why are you thanking me?" Emma smiled as she slowly guided Paul's hands away from his face. She took a sudden step back. "Woah!"

"What is it...?"

"Your face is another color."

"Wait, really??"

"Yeah, really!"

"Wow- I- um... I think I know why."

"Why?"

"Well, what if... Um..." Paul thought for a moment, "what if it came out to see your cute face...?"

"Paul-" Emma looked away, "stop saying this dumb shit you're making it sound adorable."

"Wait, hold on, it happened to you too."

"No shit?" 

"No shit."

The two looked back at the kitten after a pause, unsure of what else to say. Then they noticed its nose.

"Aww! Look at their nose!" 

"I already am, Em. It's amazing."

"So... We're seeing the same color?"

"Guess so."

"That's... Really... Cool I guess? Would that work?"

"... Cool works. Kind of."

They got the kitten and played rock-paper-scissors to decide which home it would stay at. Emma won, and Paul ended up coming with her to her apartment. It wasn't too bad of a place to live. A little small in some rooms, but it looked comfortable enough for it to not be a problem. Emma put the kitten down on the living room couch, letting Paul keep it company while she set up some things for it around the house. It mewled, staring up at Paul with big eyes. "Meeew!"

"Awww!!" Paul cooed as it hopped into his lap. "You're so precious!" Carefully, he scratched its tiny little head with his finger. It squeaked happily. "Emma, they already like me!" 

Emma sat down next to him, looking down at the kitty. "What should we name it?"

"How about Pinky? Because of its nose."

"Nah, they don't look like a Pinky. How about Iris?"

"Maybe Skye...?"

"Hmm... No... Aha!"

"What is it?"

"They're a Lisa for sure."

Paul looked down at the cat, considering the name carefully. "It's perfect!"

"Wait, Lisa needs to make a promise." Emma scooped up what she viewed at her very own child and held it gently. "You promise not to steal all of Paul's affection, right?"

"Meeeee! Meww!" Lisa squeaked back

"I dunno about that... She's the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Emma looked momentarily betrayed until Paul continued.

"Lisa, you're gonna have a hard time beating that."

"Mreeeew!"

"How do you keep doing this???" Emma's face was colored the same as Lisa's nose yet again, "I swear, you keep doing it when I least expect!"

"Because you deserve it, Em!"

"Stoooop!"

"Never."

"Are we going to have to have a tickle battle again?"

"... Maybe!"

"Well, I'll win."

"Maybe! But I might win!"

Paul barely got to finish his sentence before Emma attacked. He didn't get a chance to fight back at all. It was over as soon as he asked her to stop.

"See? Easy. Now you have to stop making me feel nice feelings."

"What?!? How am I supposed to do that???"

Emma just shrugged.

"I want a rematch."

"It's not going to work out in your favor!" She warned.

"That's what you want me to think!"

Emma ended up being right. Paul was out of breath from laughing when she was done.

They ended up staying together the whole evening without realizing. They treasured the kitten, told jokes, talked trash about one specific co-worker, and just let time pass until it got dark.

"Could we go out for dinner?" Paul asked, "I don't feel like cooking."

"Meh, I don't feel like going anywhere. We could order something."

"Can we get pizza?"

"Sure. But I'm gonna make you clean... Don't worry I'll help but I wanna feel like I'm being spoiled... Just a little bit."

"I can do that."

"So does that mean you can play with my hair while we're waiting?"

"If that's what you want."

"It's exactly what I want."

Emma made the call and ordered a pepperoni pizza to share. Paul kept his promise, letting her sit in his lap after she was done.

He started by letting her hair down twirling a bit of her hair around his finger, holding onto her shoulder with his free hand. "Like this?"

"Yeah, that's good," Emma's tone shifted. She sounded so at ease. "Just do that and try out some other things too if you want." As he kept going, she gave him a soft, satisfied hum.

"How about this?" Paul ran his fingers through her hair, earning another happy hum. So, that was also good.

"I had no idea how much I needed this... It feels amazing." She closed her eyes and let out a soft, relaxed sigh. "Paul, do you know how to braid?"

"Yeah. Do you want me to do that?"

"Yes, please."

As Paul started to braid her hair he could immediately see the tension leaving Emma's body. He was gentle, making sure she never felt more than a soft tug. 

"This is perfect..."

"Just like you," He told her as he finished, "I forgot to ask for a hair tie... I guess a clip could work if you want- woah-!"

Emma turned around and started to nuzzle Paul's chest and shoulders, humming happily. No wonder she was so good with cats. She basically was one. 

"Be careful! It might come out!"

"So? Then you get to do it again!"

"Alright, if you want. Turn around."

But the doorbell rang. Emma answered it. She made things quick, taking the pizza and leaving the delivery person a small tip. After they had left, she brought the pizza to the table in the kitchen. It was a little small, seeing how she was usually the only one using a table at her house, but there'd be enough room for a box of pizza in the middle and two chairs. Everything went according to plan. They ate and still had half leftover, and Paul wiped Emma's face for her so she could feel a bit spoiled. They cleaned everything else up together and Paul sat down once he was done.

"Do you want me to braid your hair again before I leave?" He asked Emma, but she didn't answer. She left for a moment before coming back with a pillow. She put it in Paul's lap and curled up on it. Lisa curled up right next to her. Paul stared down at them both, feeling his heart melt. They closed their eyes and Paul didn't budge. It just felt right. He closed his eyes as well. Tonight, Emma was his home. 

It was just right that way.


End file.
